- WhatsApp is testing a new disappearing messages feature
- You can delete texts after you have read them, not just after a set timer.
- The feature is being tested on both iOS and Android.
If you want to be able to send a WhatsApp message to someone on your iPhone and have it disappear after they’ve read it, you’re in luck, as WhatsApp appears to be testing this feature with a view to potentially rolling it out in the future.
That’s at least according to a new leak from WABetaInfo. On its blog, WABetaInfo claims that WhatsApp is working on a new feature that will delete messages on iOS once read. That could be a good way to protect your privacy if you don’t want certain messages to remain.
Disappearing messages already exist in WhatsApp, but they are much more limited in their current version. Right now, you can set messages to disappear after a specific period of time has passed: 24 hours, seven days, or 90 days. However, this is a “brute force” option, as it does not take into account whether the texts have actually been read before deleting them.
The new update changes that. Adds an “after reading” option in the message timer settings that will let you tell WhatsApp to delete your text messages once the recipient has seen them, not just once a predefined timer expires. That gives you more flexibility and ensures that the recipient of the text actually has a chance to read what you sent before it disappears.
Gone in 60 seconds
WABetaInfo describes this change as bringing “a new layer of privacy to disappearing messages.” And while the requirement now is that users have read the message you’ve sent them, you can still control how long WhatsApp waits before deleting text messages, with options including five minutes, one hour, or 12 hours. However, messages left unread will disappear after 24 hours, regardless of the settings you choose.
Interestingly, the sender and recipient’s timer do not have to be synchronized with each other. WABetaInfo says that if you set the timer to five minutes, for example, the message will be deleted from your own device after that period has passed. But if the person on the other end of the line doesn’t open it for several hours, it will still be available on their phone. As soon as they open it, the five-minute timer starts.
WhatsApp began testing this extended timer for disappearing messages in April 2026, but at that time it was limited to Android devices. It is now expanding to iOS as well. The fact that it is being tested on both major operating systems means it could be close to release.
That said, there’s no word on when this feature might be available. WABetaInfo has no information on the launch time and there is no official news from WhatsApp, so we will have to wait and see when it arrives.
Still, this feature could be a valuable addition, whether you already use disappearing messages and want more control or you’ve never tried them but are curious about how they can protect your privacy. Stay tuned for more information on the official release date.
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